The US signed a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia on Tuesday, with clauses to bolster bilateral cooperation in economic, defense and social developments.
The initiative is known as the US-Armenia Strategic Partnership Commission, with the partnership aiming to “[expand] economic, and security and defense cooperation; strengthen democracy, justice, and inclusion; and increase people-to-people exchanges,” reads the Wednesday press release by the US embassy in Armenia.
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Economically, the press release says the partnership would bolster bilateral trade and investments.
The two will also begin negotiations on a nuclear energy program known as the 123 Agreement, which would “provide Armenia a platform for enhanced nuclear energy cooperation” with the US once concluded, the press release says.
Militarily, the US will expand existing defense agreements with Armenia and support the country’s arms industry reforms, among other initiatives.
“The United States has expanded defense engagements with Armenia, hosting bilateral exercise Eagle Partner in 2023 and 2024 to bolster interoperability during peacekeeping exercises.”
“The United States is supporting Armenia’s defense sector reforms and has provided the Armenian Ministry of Defense with approximately $18 million in Foreign Military Financing to support the purchase of armored ambulances, the development of a Cyber Defense Operations Center, and improving National Training Center capabilities,” the press release reads.
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The move marked a significant step for Armenia, an ex-Soviet state, as it seeks closer ties with the West following its fallout with Moscow after Yerevan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a contested region with neighboring Azerbaijan in 2023 -- an action by Azerbaijan that Russian peacekeepers did not stop.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan later accused Moscow of directly aiding Azerbaijan in retaking Nagorno-Karabakh.
Yerevan announced its withdrawal from the Moscow-led military alliance, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), in June 2024.
On Jan. 9, Pashinyan confirmed that Yerevan had approved preparation of a bill that would mark the beginning of the country’s accession to the EU.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who signed the agreement with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during the latter’s visit to Washington, said the agreement “lays the foundation for even deeper cooperation and builds on our shared principles,” per Radio Liberty Armenia.
Blinken added that the US and Armenia will work on “border security capacity building” in the coming weeks, with the goal of “enhancing Armenia’s peacekeeping capabilities.”
Mirzoyan thanked the “unwavering US support for Armenia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity” at the signing ceremony.
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